


A Special Night

by sensiblekitty



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Borussia Dortmund, Cute, Established Relationship, Fluff, Love, M/M, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-08 22:57:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5516378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sensiblekitty/pseuds/sensiblekitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is Shinji's and Ilkay's first Christmas Eve as a couple. Shinji made all the arrangements for their night, but things may not go as he planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Special Night

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea a few days ago...I know Shinji and Ilkay spent Christmas apart, but inspiration came and I had to write this. ~~Even if I just managed to finish today, after Christmas, let's pretend it's still 24th.~~

It was almost Christmas. The team activities were over for the year, and everyone wanted to forget about their poor performance in the last match, which resulted in a defeat to Köln. Each player had their own plans for the end of the year, be to travel abroad, be to stay with their loved ones. Shinji and Ilkay, for instance, made a resolution to spend their time together in Japan, with Ilkay staying at Shinji’s home. It would be their first Holiday as a couple, so Shinji was very excited to celebrate the Christmas Eve with his boyfriend. He was aware that before the celebration, though, there was a schedule to follow, with media appearances, interviews and the #ShinjiDream, a yearly event he has been doing for a few years. Besides, nobody else apart from their teammates knew about their relationship, so they would need to keep discretion while walking around the town.

Taking all those factors into account, Shinji planned all the arrangements for their night beforehand. Firstly, he booked a table for two at a fancy restaurant. Then, he ordered a gift customized for Ilkay, which he would give after they had dinner. Afterwards, they would walk around the town until they found a emptier place, so they could kiss under the mistletoe. Lastly, at home, they would eat christmas cake, and cuddle in the sofa close to the fireplace, so they could keep themselves warm.

Ilkay, on the other hand, just followed his boyfriend’s plans, not understanding his excitement over the eve of an holiday. Still, the defensive midfielder was content for being able to be by his side and to see his joy. When the morning of the Christmas Eve came, Shinji woke Ilkay up in a lively way. He opened the door, silently headed to the window and opened it, letting the sunlight come. Then, he walked to his bed, confirming that the other man was still sleeping. 

“Illy, it’s Christmas Eve!” The Japanese jumped on Ilkay’s bed and took the sheet which covered him off.

Ilkay groaned, opening his eyes slowly, still used to the darkness of the room.

“Morning to you too, Shinji.” The midfielder saw the bright smile in his boyfriend’s face and a smile formed in his lips as well, making him wake up and sit, so they could talk. “Yes, it’s Christmas eve. But then?”

“But then?! Illy, we have so much to do today! And I’ve prepared a special night for us.” Shinji placed his arms around Ilkay. He rambled about places to visit, something like a special dinner, visiting the central park, eating some special Christmas cake, but Ilkay didn’t get much. He was still half-sleeping when the Japanese teammate shouted out. “Come on, wake up, man!”

“Sorry, it’s the time zone.” Ilkay closed his eyes again, and his head hanging on one of his shoulders.

Shinji, upset, knew that tickling was a weak side of Ilkay and started giving little tickles over his body.

“Hey, stop!" Ilkay complained between laughs, shrinking himself to avoid the tickles. "I’m listening. I’m already awake, okay?”

* * *

During the day, they had to go from a broadcaster to another, taking part in interviews and talking about BVB, the experience with their current coach and their affinity on the pitch, as well as in their personal lives. Shinji had to contain himself not to smile too much, because what they had was more than an affinity, it was love. The glance exchanges they threw to each other won the sympathy of staff and some people even said they rooted for "Gündogawa". That gave the Japanese man some hope, for if someday they came out as a couple, at least they would have supporting fans. 'One day, who knows', Shinji thought at himself.

Lastly, but not leastly, there was the Shinji Dream, an event he organized every year and welcomed children. This time, it was special because besides the presence of his friends, he had Ilkay by his side. They took photos with fans, gave autographs, played with the kids. It was an amazing experience. When the event was over, they waved farewell to the visitors, with a tired, but at the same time, accomplished expression on their faces.

"Wow, the event was a success today!" Maruoka commented, surprised at the number of people who attended. "Congrats, Kagawa-senpai!"

"Thanks, Maruoka-kun, but it is all thanks to everyone's efforts!" 

"So, Kagawa-senpai, do you have plans for you and Gündogan-senpai?" He asked, almost inoccently, but aware of their relationship status.

Shinji blushed at Mitsury's question and nodded with a shy smile.

"I have made some plans..."

"Good luck, then!" The young player wished, before leaving."You know, since the beginning I knew you were more than friends. I'm so happy you two are finally together!"

Shinji was surprised to hear it from him. He understimated the boy, thinking he didn't suspect their relationship, but thanked for his words, and headed back home. It was almost time to put his plan into action. 

* * *

The night set out. Ilkay was almost sure that Shinji planned a casual night, so he picked his best jacket to match the occasion. When he saw Shinji leaving the room, his jaw dropped at his boyfriend's elegancy. The Japanese man dressed in a formal way and wore a grey hat that gave him a charming, but at the same time, young silhouette. 

"You are, basically, the most handsome boyfriend in the world." Ilkay said, still admiring him.

"Thanks, Illy, but don't exaggerate." Shinji snorted, then, he contemplated his profile. "You're also gorgeous with your outfit."

Ilkay blushed. "Thanks, Shinji." 

"Come with me, let's pick a hat to go with your blazer. Though people might not recognize us in the middle of the crowd, for our privacy, it's better if we keep discretion, while still looking stylish."Shinji took Ilkay's hand and they walked to a small room filled with closets. He opened one of them, and showed a place full of hats, with a wide range of models and colors, making his boyfriend speechless. Not that Ilkay didn't know about Shinji's fashionism, more that he had no idea the other man had collected that many number of accessories. 

“Maybe this one will be perfect.” Shinji suggested, asking the midfielder to try it on.

Ilkay, a bit embarrassed, put the hat on his head and to his surprise, it fit well. 

“You're right, Shinji, I liked it. Nothing like a stylish boyfriend.” 

"I...I'm not that stylish, at least not like Auba and Marco, but I'm on the way." Shinji winked, then he checked the time, realizing that it was part the time he planned. “Shit, we are late.”

“Late...For the restaurant? But it's still 8pm." 

“At this time, the queue might already be long. We should go now.” He said, taking his coat and giving Illy's.

The two of them entered the car and Shinji drove all the way to the restaurant a little bit quiet, a little bit tense. He was eager for their night to be a success, after all, he planned everything so well, it had to go right. 

“Calm down, Shinji. Everything will be alright." Ilkay squeezed Shinji's shoulders. 

The problem was that the streets were crowded, there were several cars parked, and it took them half an hour to find a place to park. Then, when they arrived at the restaurant, they saw a huge line forming, which reached the other side of the quarter. The waited an additional hour to be attended, having to stand in the cold weather. Little did Shinji expect, though, that there would be trouble ahead...

“Kagawa, Shinji. The reservation is under my name.” He said, relieved that after so many hours of waiting and freezing outside, they are eventually inside the place.

The receptionist recognized the players and smiled on seeing them together. Then, after typing Shinji's name on the computer, she frowned, repeating the procedure. 

“Is there anything wrong?" 

"I tried to find your name twice, but it seems your reservation hasn't been saved in our system."

“What? But it can't be true! I made the reservation weeks ago!" Shinji panicked. 

"Please, wait a minute. I'll talk with the manager and he will do our best to solve the issue. Now, I ask you to wait for him at the lounge."

When the manager arrived, Shinji explained all the situation and even showed the receipt of the reservation. Then, the manager typed the reservation number.

"We did what we could to find it, but there is nothing in our system. I'm sorry, sir, perhaps it was a problem with your connection."

"No, the problem is not with my connection, but with your system." Shinji said upset. "You know what? Screw this. I've lost my appettite. Let's go, Illy?"

Ilkay, who didn't understand Japanese, watched the situation without knowing what to do, but by Shinji's expressions, he knew something went wrong and assented with his head. 

They left the place and walked to their car in silent. Shinji groaned frustrated because the main attraction of their night was over.  

"Hey, don't be mad. I'm perfectly fine on not eating in that restaurant."

"But I intended our night to be special..."

"It's not over yet! Why don't we do this: we order some fast-food and...we'll see what we do next." Ilkay had no plans in mind. All he wanted was to spend some time alone with Shinji, regardless of the place. 

"Everywhere is crowded tonight. The Christmas Eve here in Japan is a massive event, and you may have noted it on the streets."

"We just order it and eat at home." 

After an additional hour of waiting, they managed to buy fried chicken and fried potato. Then, they got the special cake Shinji ordered beforehand. On their way home, Ilkay noticed that it really became a Japanese tradition for couples to celebrate the occasion together. That was why Shinji was so excited, he realized. 

Shinji, on the other hand, while waiting for the traffic light change, gazed at the couples that cheerfully walked on the streets and envied them. He wanted to leave the car and go on a ride with Ilkay, walking with their hands joined, and expressing to the whole world their love. It was just a pity that they couldn't do it. 

"Hey, cheer up, Shinji. It's not like you to be defeated." Ilkay comforted his teammate.

“I'm frustrated, Illy. Nothing went like I planned.”

When they arrived home, Shinji headed straight to his room. He was way too tired and disappointed to eat anything at that moment. Maybe, he would wait a bit to recover his balance. Ilkay, seeing his boyfriend's sadness, decided to give some input. Firstly, he made an arrangement with a few flowers he found in the garden, took candles and placed them on the table, making some sort of arrangement. Then, he put the fried chicken and potatoes on a recipient and took a pair of plates and flatwares. It wasn't anything fancy, but for the night, he hoped it would do well. Then, he walked to Shinji's room and knocked on his door.

"My dear samurai, it wasn't because we didn't make it to the restaurant that our night is over. Please, open the door so we can talk?" He said, waiting for the other man's response. 

Shinji, who laid on his bed with a numb expression, almost jumped on hearing Ilkay's voice, opening the door right away.

"I wanted it to be special...But I couldn't." He reiterated. "I fail so much at being a boyfriend."

"Shhh, don't talk so bad about yourself. You're the best boyfriend ever." Ilkay took Shinji on his arms. "Come here, I made something for us. It's nothing big, but..."

They walked with their arms linked until the living room, where the decorated table stood out.

"Wow, Illy, it's beautiful! You didn't have to, really." Shinji said, and he had to contain his tears from coming out.

"Why not? I want to see you smile tonight."

"Aren't you disappointed with me?"

"Shinji, I'd never be disappointed with you. As long as we're together, I'm happy!" He took Shinji's hands on his. 

"You're so...amazing, so perfect. YOU are the best boyfriend ever." Shinji hugged his boyfriend tightly. "Thank you, Illy."

"You're welcome." He pulled the chair to make Shinji sit and headed to his seat on the other side of the table. "Now, let's eat before it cools down."

During the dinner they chatted normally and it was like they forgot about the bad event from just ago. After finishing, Shinji took a package out of his pocket.

"Here, Illy, it's for you. I hope you like it."

Ilkay opened the package and found a small box. Opening it, he discovered a silver necklace with his initials. 

"Oh, man, it's...so beautiful! Thank you so much, Shinji!" He pecked a kiss on the other man's lips. "It makes mine kinda poor."

Ilkay went to his room and took a small box. He intended on giving it on midnight, but since they were already exchanging gifts, he decided to give it to him then.

"Here is mine. I hope you like it, though it's not as fancy as yours."

"I don't care if it's fancy or not, Illy." Shinji smiled, ripping the gift paper that wrapped the box and opening it, discovering a black bracelet, with a small silver plate with his kanji name printed on.

"Thank you, Illy! And you got the kanji right." 

"Nothing like Google and friends to check out." Ilkay grinned proudly, reminding himself to thank Maruoka later for the help.  

"You say it wasn't fancy, but it is! And we had almost the same idea in the end." Shinji contemplated.

To end the night, they ate the christmas cake, drank champagne and sat on the carpet, close to the fireplace. Shinji got a blanket for them so they would keep warm from the cold and they stayed like that, held into each other arms, watching the burning fire. 

"Today, have I said that I love you?" The attacking midfielder broke the silence and stared at Ilkay with a smile. 

"Have you? I can't remember. But I guess it's always good to hear it." Ilkay broke the short distance that separated them in a way that their noses almost touched. He could hear Shinji's heartbeat racing as fast as his own. They have known each other for so long, but this was a new experience for both. An exciting and heartwarming one. They eventually pressed their lips together in a kiss, being only interrupted by the sound of fireworks from outside.

"Merry Christmas, Shinji." Ilkay greeted with a cheeky smile.

"Merry Christmas, Illy." Shinji's eyes brightened. 'My boyfriend', he thought, still amazed that they made it to being a couple.

They laughed at each other, recalling their agitated day. Shinji realized that the night went better than he planned and expected to happen. He smiled at Ilkay and couldn't believe he could be so happy with someone. They cuddled in the sofa and slept in each other's arms. An ordinary night, one might say, but to them, the ordinary was what made everything special, the fact that they could be themselves without any pressure from the media, from the world. Therefore, all in all, it was a special night. 

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT: Looking back, I've realized that the only wrong thing about this story is my negativity towards it.  
> You know what? I'm proud of it and I'm very thankful for the seven people who read and gave kudos. I love you all! Thanks for reading and sending feedback. <3


End file.
